Football: Colt Lyerla to miss Hillsboro's opener

Hillsboro senior Colt Lyerla, The Oregonian 2009 Class 5A offensive player of the year, is ineligible for Friday's season-opening football game against Liberty after missing two practices last week to attend to family matters, Spartans coach Ken Ingram said Monday.

Because of the missed practice time, Lyerla will fall short of the nine practice days the OSAA requires athletes to complete before participating in interscholastic competitions.

"I wasn't aware of that rule," Lyerla said after Monday's practice. "I made a mistake by going on a family trip instead of being at practice. I regret that now, obviously, but I have confidence in our team and that the guys will come out and do what they need to do."

Lyerla, a 6-foot-5, 225-pound running back, rushed for 1,543 yards and 26 touchdowns, caught 35 passes for 843 yards and 13 scores and was a force at linebacker, earning all-state first-team defensive honors while pacing the Spartans to a 13-1 record and the Class 5A state championship.

"We'll be fine," Ingram said. "We've got some people who are ready to step up. Obviously, we're better with Colt, but we've got guys that are players. We'll be all right."

Ingram, whose team moved this season into the Class 6A Pacific Conference, said he plans to start senior running back Mikey Rodriguez and junior outside linebacker Troy Jackson in Friday's 7 p.m. opener against Liberty, also a Hillsboro School District member and a part of the Class 5A Northwest Oregon Conference.

Lyerla, considered one of the nation's top college prospects in the 2011 recruiting class, is expected to be eligible to play in the Spartans' Sept. 10 home opener against the reigning Class 6A champion Sheldon Irish of Eugene.

"When he was at practice last week, he sure looked good," Ingram said. "Once he gets enough practices under his belt, he'll be ready to go."